Apologies
by Browncoats and Floral Bonnets
Summary: Written for the Monthly Whump Prompt Challenge on Ao3. It's one of those "jump right into the action" fics, wherein the team finds a beat-up, hand-cuffed Jensen with some explosives strapped to his chest. One-shot for now. I won't say there definitely won't be more, but don't get too excited. Anyway, enjoy! Let me know if 'more' is even something you want.


**A/N: I know nothing about military vehicles, field hospitals, special ops, or fleshing out bad guys, so let's just pretend.**

 **Written for the April monthly prompt, "I fucked up."**

xxx

"This is it!" Clay said, and Pooch turned onto the gravel driveway, tires squealing. As soon as the van came to a stop, they were out of the vehicle, guns drawn. There were only four men guarding the building, and they were dispatched easily. Clay didn't even have to slow down as he ran to the building. He kicked the door open, rushing in with his gun out, the team on his heels.

"Jensen!"

"Wait," Clay said, coming to a halt and putting his arm out to keep the others from running to their injured teammate.

"Holy shit," Pooch breathed behind him as Cougar started to pray in Spanish and Roque let out a string of curses.

The techie was slumped in a chair, arms cuffed behind his back, his head hanging limp. His face was covered in bruises and there was blood leaking from a cut on his right cheekbone and another near the hairline at his temple. His broken glasses hung from his swollen nose. There was blood pooled on the cement floor beneath the chair, though Clay couldn't tell where it had come from.

The most worrying thing, though, the thing that had stopped Clay from running to Jensen's side, was what looked like a Kevlar vest strapped to his chest-only this one had wires and blinking lights and enough plastic explosives to send the whole place up

"You guys stay back," Clay said, taking several cautious steps forward. "Jensen!"

Jensen groaned and opened his eyes, blinking as he forced his head up, then frowning at the sight of them. "The hell are you doing here? You should'n' be here. Leave."

Clay shook his head, stopping so there was a little space between himself and Jensen.

"Someone find me the keys to his cuffs," he said, then crouched so he was at eye level with the techie-and so he could get a closer look at the device strapped to the younger man's torso. "We're not going to leave you here, Jensen. We're gonna figure out how to get this thing off you, and then we're gonna get you out of here and you're going to be fine."

"N-...no. Colonel. I fucked up."

"What're you talking about?" Clay asked, looking over the vest with a sinking heart. He didn't even know where to begin.

Jensen's brow furrowed. "Get out of here. 't's...a _trap_. You have to leave before…before it goes off." Jensen's words were becoming increasingly slurred, and his head started to nod.

"Jensen!" Clay barked. Jensen's head jerked up, and he blinked blearily at Clay.

"Hm?" There were tears in his eyes.

"You stay awake now, you hear? That's an order, soldier. We're gonna get you out of here"

"N-no. That's what…That's what they want. You have to…" Jensen choked on a sob. "Please," he whispered.

"Not a chance," Clay said. "Okay?"

"Asshole," Jensen breathed.

Clay snorted. "Yeah, probably...Listen, you know how to disarm this thing?"

Jensen let out a thin groan before saying, "Yeah."

Clay nodded. "Good. Just talk me though it, and then we'll be out of here."

"Boss," Cougar said, and Clay looked over his shoulder to see the sniper approaching, holding up what had to be the key to Jensen's cuffs. He locked eyes with Clay. "Let me."

Clay held his gaze. Cougar had the steadiest hands of all of them, but he was also the closest to Jensen, and personal feelings were nothing but a hindrance in a situation like this. Clay looked at him a second longer before curling his trembling fingers into fists.

"Okay," he said, standing up as Cougar took his place near Jensen.

Jensen blinked and offered a slight smile as he laid eyes on his friend. "Hey…hey Cougs. Boss is letting you take this one, huh? Really hope that doesn't…blow up in our faces." He grinned lopsidedly, revealing red-stained teeth.

Cougar chuckled and muttered something in Spanish before his face became somber once more. "Tell me what to do," he said quietly.

"You'll need…pliers…and-and wire cutters. Should be some in m'bag…"

Clay looked up at Pooch who nodded and ran out to the van, returning moments later with Jensen's pack in hand. Cougar dug through it until he found what he needed.

"Okay."

Jensen took a deep, shuddering breath. "The rest of them have…have to go."

"No way," Pooch said, taking a step forward.

Roque took a step forward too, a frown on his face. "What Pooch said. We're staying."

"Jensen-" Clay began.

"He is right," Cougar interrupted. "We need to focus. Go."

Pooch and Roque exchanged a glance before reluctantly heading for the door.

Clay felt a hand on his shoulder and shook it off. "I'm staying here, damn it!"

"C'mon, Clay," Roque said. "We gotta let 'em do this."

Clay stood. "Go ahead," he said to his team. "I'll be out in a second." He faced Jensen and raised his right hand in a salute. "I'll see you in a few, soldier."

He turned away before Jensen and Cougar could see how utterly terrified he was.

xxx

"Did the lights turn off?" Jensen asked. It had been a harrowing thirty minutes, but if things had gone according to plan, it was almost over.

Cougar nodded. "Yes."

"You c'n...you can undo the cuffs 'n...take the vest off."

Cougar looked up at him. "You sure?"

"Go," Jensen replied.

Cougar nodded once more and moved to Jensen's wrists, undoing the cuffs and trying to ignore the pained sounds that came as Jensen's arms moved for the first time in hours.

"Almost there," the sniper muttered as he undid the buckles on the sides before standing to lift it off of Jensen, his heart hammering. He worked slowly, carefully, pulling it up and over the techie's head. And then, it was off. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as Jensen sagged in relief.

"You did it," the blond said with a tired laugh. Now that the vest was off of him, Cougar could see that Jensen's front was streaked with blood from his face and head, and there was more surrounding a hole at the bottom of his right ribcage, that could only have been put there by a bullet.

" _Mierda_ ," Cougar muttered at the same time that Jensen's eyes closed, his head lolling forward

"Jensen!" Cougar cried, tapping his face. Nothing. "Jensen! Jake!" He swore under his breath in Spanish as he pulled his shirt off, tearing it into strips. He wadded up one piece and pressed it to the wound, using another to tie the first in place. Now that the bomb was disarmed and the immediate danger was gone, the adrenaline was wearing off and his hands shook. Trembling, he gathered the wounded man into his arms, trying not to jostle him, and headed for the door.

"Pooch!" he shouted as he got outside. "Pooch, start the van!"

The others looked up, Roque and Clay running toward him as Pooch ran to the van.

"What happened?" Clay asked.

"He's shot," Cougar answered tersely.

Roque opened the back doors of the van, and Clay hopped in, helping Cougar load Jensen into the back. Roque jumped in after, pulling the doors shut behind him.

"Field hospital!" Clay called to Pooch. " _Now_!"

"You got it! I'll call ahead, let 'em know we're coming."

"Hold his head," Cougar commanded. Clay nodded, sitting on the floor and settling the techie's head in his lap as Pooch started to drive. The wound was still bleeding heavily, so Cougar put both hands over the makeshift bandage, applying more pressure. Jensen groaned, shifting slightly.

"Hey. Hey, Jensen, you there?" Roque said, grabbing one of his blood-slicked hands.

Jensen's eyes fluttered open and rolled, trying to focus. They finally settled on Cougar's face. They had the lackluster look of someone going into shock, and they were watery with pain.

"Coug-" he began, but a sudden choke cut him off and he gasped, a horrible wheezing sound, eyes widening in fear.

"Sit him up!" Cougar snapped.

Clay nodded, scrambling to get his arms beneath Jensen's and pull him into a sitting position.

"Pooch, I'm gonna need an ETA!" Clay shouted.

"We're about eight minutes out! What the hell is going on back there?" Pooch cried, looking over his shoulder.

Cougar slid beside Clay, keeping one hand pressed on Jensen's wound and shifting the other to the small of his back as the man hacked and wheezed.

"I think he is choking on blood," Cougar answered. "Drive faster!" The techie's face had lost what little color it had, making the bruises stand out like ink on paper. He gasped for breath and coughed again, retching as blood came up.

"Fuck!" Roque cried. " _Shit_ , Cougs!"

Cougar ignored him. He felt like following Roque's lead-that is, shouting profanities-but he had to keep a cool head, so he just rubbed Jensen's back and helped Clay keep him upright as he heaved. He kept coughing for what seemed like an eternity before leaning back against Clay and Cougar, chest heaving. He looked up at the sniper with watery eyes, blood and saliva dribbling down his chin. He swallowed, his jaw working, Adam's apple bobbing as he tried to speak.

"Ssh," Cougar said softly, putting one hand to the man's forehead and letting it rest there.

Jensen's eyelids began to slip, but he forced them open again. "S...sorry," he whispered, and his body went limp against Cougar's.

Cougar's heart jumped in his chest as his hand moved to Jensen's neck, frantically feeling for a pulse. It took a moment to find his heartbeat, and it was weak and fast. He was hardly breathing now, his breath coming in little gasps that were getting further apart.

" _Hurry_."

"Almost there, Cougs," Pooch answered, voice shaking.

Cougar kept his fingers where they were for the rest of the drive, feeling for the faint thumping that meant Jensen was still alive.

There was a medical team waiting for them when they arrived, and they whisked Jensen away as soon as the van was stopped. Cougar and the others tried to follow, but one of the men stepped in front of them before they had the chance.

"Look, I'm sorry, but you know the rules. You've gotta stay out here. For the doctors, and for him. We'll tell you what's happening as so as we can, got it?"

Cougar felt his jaw tighten as he took a step forward, putting himself almost nose-to-nose with the officer.

"Cougs," Clay said behind him, and Cougar felt a tight hand on his shoulder. "Stand down."

The officer held Cougar's stare, but his expression was soft. "I'll tell you as soon as I know anything. In the meantime you should all go sit down and try to relax. You look like hell." He gave a small nod before turning around and going into the medical tent.

Cougar watched him go, still considering whether or not he could get away with following him in. He was about to try when Clay pulled him back.

"C'mon, Cougar. There's nothing we can do but wait."

Cougar resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he let the colonel lead him away. "I fucking hate waiting."

xxx

They were sitting around a fire, staring at the flames and sipping beer while they waited for news on Jensen, when Roque broke the silence.

"He'll pull through. He may be a complete idiot and a giant pain in the ass, but the guy is stubborn." Something that was almost a smile crossed his usually brooding features. "Like-y'all remember that time he thought he could free climb that cliff face in Peru?"

Clay got a small smile too at the memory. "Yeah, and he only got about eight feet up before he fell on his ass."

Pooch snorted. "Bruised his tailbone so bad he couldn't sit for weeks."

"And he paid a small fortune in shipping to get that leopard print ass donut," Roque added, chuckling.

The image evoked giggles from the small team, even Cougar, and soon all of them were laughing. It was weird, and awkward as hell, but it helped relieve some of the tension. Soon the small band was swapping stories about the geeky technician. Pooch was talking about the time a CO walked in on Jensen decrypting in his underwear when a soldier with a red cross on his arm approached.

Clay scrambled to his feet. "How is he?"

"Colonel. I'm Doctor Callahan. I assisted on Jensen's surgery. The bullet nicked his lung, but we were able to remove it and stop the bleeding, without incident. He's going to need to be on a ventilator to give his lung a chance to heal a bit, but the surgery went well and we're optimistic that he'll be able to breathe on his own soon. As you know, he also took a helluva beating. Broken nose, fractured cheekbone, busted ribs, bruised kidneys, and lots of minor cuts and bruises. But there was no internal bleeding, and no indication of traumatic brain injury. Your man's been through a lot, but overall he's doing surprisingly well. Of course we don't know for sure, and it's going to take time to fully heal, but we think he's gonna pull through this without any permanent damage."

The small team let out a collective sigh of relief, their stances relaxing as they shared smiles.

"When do we get to see 'im?" Clay asked.

"He's in recovery now, but soon he'll be ready to have one person at a time go sit with him for short periods. One of us will come let you know when that is. In the meantime, I suggest you gentlemen go get some sleep. It'll be daylight in few hours, and he won't be ready before then."

"Thank you, Doctor," Clay said, shaking his hand.

"Colonel," Callahan said before heading back to the tent.

Clay turned to the others with a grin. "Hear that, boys? Our jackass is gonna be okay."

xxx _Twelve hours later_

Cougar hung back, lingering by the tent opening where all he could see were the machines and a hint of Jensen's wild hair sticking up. Everyone had spent time with Jensen already. Only Cougar was left. He tried to convince himself that his staying away was somehow for Jensen's benefit, but he knew full well that actually he was just scared shitless.

"Doc says he might be able to hear us," Roque said behind him. It startled him, but he didn't let him show.

"Si," Cougar responded.

"You're his best friend outta all of us. You should go talk to 'im. It's not like you gotta say much. You usually don't say much anyway. Who knows? Could do the little shit some good."

Cougar knew Roque had a soft spot for the techie-hell, all of them did-but it was strange seeing it show. Almost unsettling. The man sighed, fixing Cougar with a Look.

"Doc also says he looks worse than he actually is," he said. "I'm not gonna lie to you, he really does look like shit. But he's gonna be okay. Go sit with him."

Cougar sighed and nodded.

Roque clapped him in the shoulder. "Good man."

Cougar's heart pounded as he slowly made his way into the room they had sectioned off for Jensen. A pit formed in his stomach as soon as he laid eyes on the techie, and he almost turned away.

His pale face was littered with cuts and bruises, the left side of his face badly swollen. There were stitches across his right cheekbone. He was hooked up to all sorts of IVs and machines. Cougar couldn't decide whether the tube coming out of his mouth or the tube peeking out of his bandaged chest was was worse.

Both made him feel sick.

He eased himself into the chair at Jensen' bedside (a normally simple task, but one that was made somewhat more difficult due to his trembling legs) and sat looking at him for a long time. He knew the doctors were optimistic, but Jensen just looked so _broken_ , so fragile, as if the slightest wrong touch would shatter him beyond repair.

Cougar took a deep breath and let out out slowly. He couldn't stop thinking about the ride, how terrified he'd been. Jensen coughing up blood, struggling to breathe.

Jensen apologizing, just before going limp in Cougar's arms.

"Hey, Jensen." It came out as a harsh whisper. He took another deep breath and reached forward, taking Jensen's fingers in his hand to avoid bumping any IVs. He was trying to figure out what to say when Jensen's eyelids fluttered.

"Jensen?"

A moment later, Jensen's eyes opened, shifting so he was looking at Cougar. He seemed tired, a little scared, but alert.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Cougar said, and Jensen's eyes got just the slightest bit watery. "You're gonna be okay, ñero. Go back to sleep."

Jensen's hand twitched beneath his and Cougar tightened his grip.

"I'll be here when you wake up," he said, and Jensen looked relieved, before his eyes slipped shut once more.

"Hey, Cougar."

Cougar turned at the sound of Pooch's voice. "Si?"

"Boss wanted me to let you know, we found 'em. As soon as J's out of the woods, we're going for them."

A hot feeling spread through Cougar's chest and he imagined putting a bullet through the head of every person involved in what happened to Jensen. He almost smiled.

"Good," he said.

He looked back at his injured friend, at the damage those bastards had done, and he couldn't wait to make them pay.

xxx


End file.
